Danganronpa 3: Mouthpiece
by VI Intelligence
Summary: Takes place just before 3. After two games and a lot of suffering, the voice of Despair's mascot has been found. Captured and placed on trial, he and Naegi walk towards the charges of conspiracy and attempting to subvert Hope. Deaths are rearranged, some stay the same and the death counter resets.
1. Chapter 1

Danganronpa: B3 Hunt

Author's notes: This just came to me in a small thought watching the Future Arc of the series, due to me being extremely emotionally distressed by what I have witnessed. While I would call this a blessing, it also sucks knowing what has happened thus far, I won't spoil it for people, but if you haven't watched it do so when you can and prepare a lot of tissues.

Well, enough of me actually being depressed, let's get this idea off on its course.

Towa city ruins

The city's empty streets under the blood red skies gave a menacing overshadow of what was left of Towa city, the epicentre of the largest disaster in the known human history. Months ago, in a time that was much different from the time of the present, a large school of meritocracy once stood proudly, boasting the best of the best being trained and developed in talent for the sole purpose for constructing a future of hope. As time went on however, the ideal of hope began to waver, and thousands of people flocked towards the lure of despair. Now the land was a no man's land, conflict emerging between people who try to embody the aspects of hope and despair in a fruitless war.

The city square in Towa city, known to its residents as the Central bloc, was once in its days of glory a multi-store mall on the outside. It was known for being the hub of fashion brands, technology, cafes and generally a spot for conventions of all kinds. In its present state, that lustre and aspects of affluence was stripped away. Slabs of concrete foundation was tossed up into the air by explosive charges, broken smashed glass windows of stores and stockpiles of mannequins, and various other store goods burned in pyres or were scrapped for parts to use. To say the least, the square had seen better and brighter days of hope.

Observing their surroundings, approaching the middle of a city square with a light shuffle of a dragging shoe, a female figure arose from the dark shadow of the moon which was obscured by the clouds, a pair of black cargo pants and a green tank top covered by a modest leather jacket with tactical holsters and belts across her chest and waist complete with a padless bulletproof armor over her shirt. Her platinum blonde hair was tied into a pair of shoulder length ponytails, a set of three braids on the left side of her head draping over her cheek.

"What a mess this all is."

 _Anechka, Assassin_

The woman's dull green eyes gleamed with a soft shine, her view focused on the results of the most recent chaos-filled reverie. In front of her was a small number of bodies, at least from what she could count around seven in total with a few missing limbs which were nowhere to be found from their original bodies. Kneeling down, she picked up a crushed can in her hand leaning down to take a whiff of the familiar smell. "Alcohol."

The corpse was female, lying face down planted on the ground with her bare ass staring up at the woman. Anechka shrugged off the apprehension as she knelt to examine the head, noticing that the top half was slightly bumpy with a small bludgeon wound to the head but didn't cave in her skull but enough to knock her out at least for a while. In addition, she was stripped bare, her stockings which were torn and shredded in places made the fabric barely covering anything to the imagination as Anechka dipped a finger in between the thighs of the woman, a light squelching noise could be heard as she wiggled her finger around the edges. Feeling a slick watery liquid sliding against her glove, Anechka brought the glove towards her nose as she took a short whiff.

"…Sexual assault from both sides, looks like she was made to withstand the ordeal for hours." Anechka eerily muttered to herself while her sleek black glove retreated from the bare ass of the dead woman, noting the look of absolute terror and what appeared to be a crooked grin on the woman's tear-stained cheeks which were absolutely red. Anechka took it as a sign of mental breakdown from the repeated successes, the woman in black flicking the gooey white residue of ejaculation while she reached for her breast pocket fishing out a small handkerchief to wipe her index and middle fingers clean. While she did so, she noticed the victim's eye shadow was bright red with what appeared to be blood leaking out of the eyelids, Anechka grabbing the cheek of the victim to look at the expression, spotting the bulging artery webs across the pupils to the light purple dried lips.

"They were just here…at least close to an hour ago. Victim also has signs of poisoning of some kind." Anechka eyeballed the street ahead, the eerie silence for a brutal crime scene disturbed her to some degree, the fate of the woman already spelling out a small portion of what Anechka would expect should she journey further.

*crunch*

Anechka's focus was torn away from the scene, her ears picking up the tiny crack of a concrete pebble against the field of smashed window pieces from a nearby fashion store, the establishment robbed clean of any clothing even leaving their previous mannequin owners stockpiled in a corner.

"Looks like our target's began the party."

A buff square-shaped meat wall of a man met her gaze as Anechka brought her gun up to aim right between his eyes, his full height standing just above her head dressed in a blue collar t-shirt and black jeans while a set of dark chocolate brown pupils hid beneath the night sky. The shirt was buttoned save for the top two, exposing a small locket on chain

 _Lancaster Lobos, Super High School Architect. A man devoted to building as much as designing, he was the man who designed two wings of Hope's Peak Academy when they discovered him as an apprentice to an internal designer sketching out the plans for a proposal._

Anechka lowered her gun sighing out in relief at the sight of Lancaster's giant body, the assassin replacing her wary gaze with a frown of disapproval. "Couldn't wait for me to take care of the scouting, Lobos?"

"You didn't return for more than 20 minutes so I came to check on you, with the world like this, you don't know what can happen to you." The intimidating figure spoke quietly as his black eyes fell upon the bodies past the woman, his lips curling inward as his teeth bit the skin lightly, wincing at the amount of blood which had hardened into the tar road. "Looks like the Monokuma army was busy here."

"Same occurrence as the past few instances around this district, several bodies with gore and various activities you'd expect to find at a wild stag party." Anechka gestured with an uncaring wave at the corpses, her eyes not meeting the brutalised bodies and pools of dried blood. "Also came with a lot of alcohol too, and some of the bodies seem to be like they were ritually brutalised like the previous victims but with different methods of death."

Lancaster nodded grimly, his eyes then falling over to the woman that Anechka had previously searched, squinting both eyes while a look of disgust crinkled his forehead and cheeks. "I'm guessing that she came to the afterparty phase and didn't make it past the shots."

Anechka gazed at the body once more, her eyes flickered to the bruises and markings before she glanced back at her partner. "No one deserves to die like this."

"An assassin with a conscience? That's rare."

No reply.

"So who exactly are we trying to find through following this trail of breadcrumbs?"

"A girl called Ibuki Mioda, used to be a Super High School Talent before she disappeared along with her entire class just before the world revolt happened. They said from surveillance of the district a troupe of Monokuma followers had a member who looks just like her was being dragged with them, at the behest of some crazy girl in a kimono and two big twin tails."

"The rock star from that high school band or something…heard about what happened before she got enrolled. Sad business, that one. While I'm more of a Maizono fan, Ibuki's electric rock on that guitar was a pleasure to hear," Lancaster spoke as his tone went downcast at the thought of the idol singer, Anechka saying nothing as she took the first step forward, Lancaster sighing as he stepped in line behind her.

* * *

An hour later

"Looks like we found the lair of the troupe, if the crushed cans of beer are enough evidence."

"Hmm, they haven't ambushed us both, perhaps they're further in?" Lancaster suggested to his partner, Anechka glancing at the entrance analysing the empty darkness within, her ears picking up no sound or any physical movement to indicate a person. Reaching for her waist holster, Anechka turned towards Lancaster who continued to stand in place staring at the broken down turnstiles while she unhooked her pistol, checking the clip while she patted down the rest of her ammo pouches.

"You're armed appropriately I hope? Because I find it hard to believe an architect who draws buildings can face an angry mob by themselves and come out on top so easily."

Lancaster's eyes narrowed slightly at Anechka, folding his arms while his chest seemed to rise in tandem as he thumbed his heart. "You underestimate us who come from Hope's Peak, some of us have adapted well to the new chaotic world and picked up additional skills along the way than just sticking to our talent."

"Enough that I hope you aren't dead in five minutes," Anechka replied as she moved to the broken escalator leading downwards, the woman pushing her braid aside as she raised her tactical SMG to the bottom of the escalator while she cautiously stepped down onto the metal steps. Lancaster followed in tow behind her while he cracked his knuckles the popping sensation waking his senses as he withdrew a pair of karambits with knuckle duster attachments in place of the hilts, the architect gazing at the broken lights and scattered rubbish all around them taking in the sight.

"I still can't believe that just a few years ago this place was brimming with life before the world tragedy, now it's just a no man's land where people are free to do as they please however it pleases them."

"No different from the real world before the tragic revolution then," Anechka commented dryly as she stepped over a pile of withered worn human bones, the dust-covered air choking up the oxygen she could breathe. Anechka resisted the urge to sneeze as she took shallow breaths, Lancaster doing the same pinching his nose slightly as they both reached the ground below. The sight that greeted them was dismal, the once well-lit station in its operational days was overwhelmed by rubble from broken concrete pillars and most of the shiny white square tiles were scattered all across the floor, cracked or dislodged from their roots. A glance to the right heralded an overturned bullet train with seven passenger cars chained behind, the tail end three of which had smashed onto the platform and had demolished the pillars ahead, dents and broken glass from the cockpit of the driver's car with crusted blood flakes and black smears being the only evidence of their occupants' fates.

"Ugh, this smell…"

Anechka sniffed the air unconcerned, her nose twitched as she picked up a myriad of scents which caused her to pinch the bridge. "Piss, blood, alcohol and rot…let's hope they didn't go in too far."

"With blood and alcohol this fresh? I'm feeling the joy already," Lancaster spoke warily as they began to climb the train. Landing on the other side of the wall, both operatives found themselves in an abandoned makeshift shelter, Lancaster looking at the torn sheets and spoiled mattresses laying bare stripped of any bedsheets while rusted coiled springs broke through the surface, letting out a small whistle as he stared at the small well-arranged shelter.

"Man, who lived here?"

"Whoever they are, they've moved on. Barrel only contains rust in there." Anechka replied as she moved to inspect what appeared to be a bunch of tattered sheets wrapped around a pole, something equivalent to that of a hastily made tent. Lancaster on the other hand opted to search the mattress, overturning the mattress which immediately tore the rest of the fabric holding the springs, the expulsion of dust causing him to cough and choke as he swept his hand with a swift 'shwoosh' to wipe the dust clouds away.

"Oh, that is terrible."

"It's been a long time, things rot." Anechka called out to him as he moved over to the side away from the ruined mattress.

"Thanks a lot for your concern, gal." Lancaster sarcastically remarked, rubbing his eyes which were completely snapped shut due to the particles with his palms, feeling anxious as he was robbed of his sight. As he took a few more steps, Lancaster's foot moved forwards only to hit something hard. "Ow!"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Stupid dust!" Lancaster snapped as he blinked, his eyes teary and slightly red from irritation while his face was taut with pain at his toes. Kneeling down, he was about to massage his feet when he noticed the item that he had just kicked.

"Hmm, what's this? Some kind of box." Lancaster uttered loud enough for Anechka to hear as she stopped her search, turning to look at Lancaster's kneeling back while he lifted the rusty brown box, peeking through one of the puncture holes which littered the surface of the box. "What is it? What did you find?"

Lancaster looked at the contract killer as he lifted up a small removable hard drive from the rusted box, the feeling of plastic in his hands indicated it was sealed and packaged to avoid the same fate as the other metal items in the station. Curious, he reached for the seal, snapping the plastic zip with his fingers as he dug into the transparent bag, removing the hard drive to rest in his forefinger and thumb. "Some hard drive, with a note that says…'Watch me.'"

Anechka walked over to his side, her interest rising as she looked over his shoulder. Just as he had said, she could make out the shape of a small removable drive inside of a plastic bag with a seal which Lancaster had taken the item out of, seeing the small sticky note that laid secure onto the plastic packaging.

*Please watch me*

"…Well?" Lancaster's whisper snapped her back into reality, Anechka reaching into the confines of her jacket as she drew out a rectangular item on hand.

"You have an Ipad in that suit?" Lancaster asked surprised at the ease of which she took out the piece of technology, shooting a glance at Lancaster's dumbfounded look. "Of course I bring one, you never know when you would need to see a visual recording of something important on missions."

"Are you even sure you are an assassin?"

"Shut up."

Anechka snatched the drive from Lancaster's hand, the woman sliding the removable disk port into the Ipad as the screen lit up with a notification. Clicking yes, Anechka opened up her device folder and switched to view the files inside of the memory drive.

"Only one file, 'confession'."

"Go on, let's see what this is all about." Lancaster urged her as she clicked play, the video player window opening up as the screen was made to full. Once it was set, the screen began with a static wave.

"This is…"

Present day

Naegi Makoto was having a really bad day.

The boy known as the embodiment of hope struggled pointlessly against his restraints which were clamped around his wrists, preventing any hope of wriggling out of them while he was shoved roughly at the back by one of Munakata's 'escorts'. Makoto could only utter out a short 'oof' as he felt the metal stick into his spine, sparing him no comfort from his desperate situation.

"Keep moving, Naegi-san." One of the men ordered Makoto sharply, his voice devoid of any concern for Naegi's own discomfort as Makoto held his tongue, knowing it wasn't wise for him to say anything to trigger any sort of negative reactions amongst the group.

Beside the young man at his left, a woman in a black suit and skirt with tanned skin and ocean blue eyes curled her fists as her gaze burned into the back of the two armed men in suits, provoked by the rough treatment towards Makoto as she yelled at the man. "Makoto-kun is innocent of anything that Munakata-san and the others are accusing him of! He's not even-!"

"Asahina-san, it's okay."

"But-!"

"It's okay," Makoto replied softly, his eyes pleading for Asahina to keep silent. The moment didn't last as Makoto was met with a grunt as another shove from the barrel of the gun forced him to stay silent once more and pressured him forward in a short stumble, Asahina clenching her fists at her sides as she silently stalked behind them, her eyes cautiously glaring at the surrounding posse who surrounded them. Walking on his right, wearing a black office skirt and black suit over a white blouse with a small black choker and ribbon around her neck and collar was a woman with platinum white hair stretching to her waist while a hime cut set of bangs just above her eyebrows, a single braid on her right dangling just past her ear.

Kyouko Kirigiri kept her eyes ahead, her arms folded across one another around her breasts as her pale lavender eyes and stiff neutral frown prevented anyone from seeing the various emotions beneath her mask, all revolving around the current situation that was unfolding in front of them. A few days into the journey towards their branch, Togami had to split from the main fleet as he mentioned having to follow a lead of some kind. They had only departed no far from Togami before Munakata's fleet showed up to board their ship, wanting business with Naegi personally. When Naegi met them directly, Kyouko was surprised when they cuffed him on the spot and called him a traitor wanted for questioning regarding the Neo-World Program. Presently, they were going to an emergency meeting with Munakata…with Naegi bound up in chains.

"Asahina, have some faith in Naegi, if there's anyone who can convince them that this investigation is a complete waste of our time, it will be Naegi-san." Kyouko reasoned with the swimmer, her words calming Asahina slightly though her shoulders remained rigid at her sides along with her clenched fists. Shooting a stare at the back of one of the suits, Kyouko stole a quick glance at Naegi's back who was slightly sagged. Underneath her cold exterior of a mask, she fought the urge to protest against the charges herself, having Naegi placed under arrest was enough of a surprise already, but talk of a traitor was what was occupying her thoughts. Munakata had never been this determined before, sure he and Naegi had butted heads over the best way to approach the goal of hope, however for him to show up in their fleet and place the whole crew under lockdown was another completely different event.

She gazed at Naegi trailing behind with a sullen look at Aoi who gave a look of worry at Naegi, Kyouko tearing her gaze away from the pair as they approached the office door.

Either way, she would not let Makoto out of her hands so easily.

* * *

Bridge

"Munakata-san, the 'guests' that you've invited are at the door. Shall I invite them in?"

"Go ahead."

The man in the suit and sunglasses gave a courteous bow before he turned to open the door for Makoto and friends, his hand outstretched in a sweep to welcome the group. "You may-"

"Munakata!" Aoi shouted angrily as she elbowed the usher aside, stomping into the office with whatever anger she had left in reserve for her target. The office was locked in with four steel plates welded by large bolts holding the overlapping plates in place, the room containing a projector and a DVD player tucked at the left corner of the wall while a briefing whiteboard was located hung on the right. Sitting in a chair, dominating the centre view of the windows behind a desk with a glowing light from a laptop, sat a man in his 20's with a head of silver hair and a white suit and pants, the man busy typing away at the keyboard of his laptop for a few moments before he shut the screen, glancing up to face Aoi with a stone cold expression of apathy. "If it isn't Aoi Asahina, one of Naegi's friends. I thought you would be down at the café stuffing yourself as per usual."

Aoi grinded her teeth, the swimmer taking slow deliberate steps towards the silver-haired man watching her unperturbed by her blazing glare. "Shut up, I want to know why you have Naegi locked up in this ship! He hasn't done anything to deserve your grounds for arrest and treason!"

"Really?" Munakata drawled as he stared coldly at Aoi. "I wonder if the same could be said when he has clearly just spared a group of criminals who have done much worse than just spreading despair."

"They were classmates, just like us! The Neo-World Program was meant to change them, rehabilitate them. With that they would have-"

"The Neo-World Program failed." Munakata silenced Aoi with his words, rising from his leather chair while he adjusted the tie and a hand stuffed into his right suit pocket. "You claimed that it was for rehabilitation and that they would 'recover', yet Junko managed to once again corrupt the system and enter the alternate world, killing most of the Ultimate Despair in their beds. And now, Naegi claims that it is possible to use that very same flawed system to wake the rest of them up from their comas."

Aoi didn't flinch as Munakata walked into her personal space, his towering figure daring her to speak to his face, leaning slightly inward to intimidate Aoi into silence. "Tell me that that, does not count as a topic for concern regarding Naegi's commitment to the cause of hope."

"Naegi had the interests of hope at heart when he installed the Neo-World Program for the Ultimate Despair."

Munakata looked up from his staredown to the doorway upon hearing a third voice, facing a pair of lavender eyes staring directly at him with folded arms. Just behind her, a head of spiky messy hair and an ahoge poked out into the doorway as Munakata narrowed his eyes at Makoto, sending a shiver down Naegi's spine. "Kyouko Kirigiri. I find it hard to believe that Naegi's decision to capture the Ultimate Despair, much less attempt to change them was, at any rate, having the best interests of the Future Foundation at all."

"I was there, as his branch leader Naegi's actions count as mine. The Neo-World Program was sceptical at first but I believed that Naegi would be capable of handling it. As did Byakuya Togami despite his initial protests."

"And it is this loyalty to Naegi that is going to cost your entire branch their heads, Kirigiri. Knowing just what the Ultimate Despair are and what they have done to lead the world into their despair inducing rage, is indefinite proof of their decision to continue spreading Junko's message." Munakata countered with a stern tone, the silver-haired branch leader turning his back on the detective to walk towards the window overlooking the sea. "But we can discuss all of this later when we have the time to spare. I brought you here with a different matter in mind, one that requires the attention of two branch leaders in this. However, I suggest that Aoi and Naegi leave us in peace, they are not a part of the discussion."

Aoi moved to intercept Munakata only for Kyouko to place a hand in front of the swimmer. "I understand, if that is what you wish." Kyouko agreed giving Aoi a glance at the swimmer while her features softened for just a moment.

"Aoi, if you could." Kyouko whispered as Aoi reluctantly backed up while a pair of men surrounded Naegi escorting him towards the door, the swimmer looking at Kyouko and at Naegi who gave her a reassuring smile upon seeing her hesitance to leave Kyouko alone. "Asahina-san, it's going to be okay. We can have some donuts later at the ship's kitchen while we wait. Kyouko will be fine with Munakata-san."

"…Alright, see you later." Aoi spoke with a thin smile, the young woman stepping out of the office as the usher gave the room a curt bow of his head, shutting the door behind the pair. Hearing the door shut behind them with a loud groan Kyouko gave her attention towards the former student president. "What is it that you wished to discuss with me, Munakata-san?"

"It's in regard to Towa city, and something that we discovered there recently before we intercepted your fleet which has been kept under wraps to the other branch leaders."

"Are you going to explain?"

Munakata gave her a cold stare. "It's better to show you."

Reaching his desk, Munakata pressed a button at the side of his laptop, a tray springing out from the side carrying a single disk. Moving towards the DVD player, Munakata placed the item on the tray before pressing the close button and played it.

The screen remained black for merely a moment before it lit up brightly in the semi-dim office, the cloudy horizon obscuring most of the sunlight for the day. In it, Kyouko could make out a figure adjusting something on the camera before it refocused itself. Standing straight, the figure revealed himself in the light to be a man around her age, wearing a black hoodie with two fluffy bear ears on either side, his arms at his sides as the screen flickered into momentary static before he spoke.

" _This is the testimony of Masaru Saito, to those willing to listen to my voice, and my shame."_

"I've never heard of this man before." Kyouko spoke up while Munakata paused the recording, staring at the man on the screen with an intense weight. "I'm not surprised you didn't, Masaru Saito was a man who enrolled into my class and was missing throughout most of his classes doing voice acting jobs for his career. The headmaster recognised this and decided to let him practice his talent."

"He was allowed to avoid his examinations?"

"Yes, however he wasn't excused from his educational obligations." Munakata pressed the resume button, letting the rest of the recording play.

" _When I first received the call to go to Hope's Peak academy, I was expectantly excited and ready to face the world of talents and show them just what I was capable of to prove my worth as a talent. To this end I did the best I could with my talent, entering various jobs to spread the message of hope through the media. I would do video game voiceovers, get involved in television shows for a one shot episode cameo to spread the word. I did my part for society, believing in the faculty and Jin Kirigiri who encouraged me into fostering my talent."_

The man's mouth curled into a genuine smile, the hood covering the rest of his facial expression as the screen began to sputter as static buzzed through the speakers. Kyouko felt her expression harden, the name of her father bringing along a slightly bitter feeling in her heart while she saw what she could deduce as a genuine display of gratefulness towards the man who was her father.

" _I wanted many things. Bringing smiles and hopes were my adolescent goal. That was a fatal mistake."_

" _To even think about having a future entirely composed of nothing but hope, was an illusion. It was a pointless thought made flesh into the physical world, a concept made into a society built upon hope and talent to shine through. It took me months to realise that the hope I have spread across was false, that I the actor was being played as a puppet on a stage, that I was deceived with the world just the way it wanted me to."_

It was then that the hooded figure on screen lifted his hood back, his head still bowed allowing his hair to hide his face. After a few seconds of silence, he looked up right into the camera, exposing his true face to the world.

Even Kyouko's stoic façade could not disguise the light shock at what she was seeing, while Munakata turned his face away from the screen, gripping his palms tighter than usual. His right eye, or what used to be where his right eye was, had a circle of wrinkled burn marks from what could be suspected to have been acid with traces of a stich running across the surroundings of the burn marks. In place of the missing eye was a cybernetic implant that patched up his eye, in the shape of a red lightning streak encasing a computerised eyeball which began to flitter and whirr, giving off a red gleam.

" _I admit my guilt before you, that I, without knowledge and without greater awareness, volunteered my services to Towa Industries by aiding Monaca Towa in the construction and the voice production of Despair. I admit my guilt that, in failing to shut down the facility from continuously mass producing them when the Tragedy had struck and hid like a coward, I have doomed Towa City to burn in the fire, anguish and agony of the great Despair. I admit to surrendering my voice to the program that has controlled and made the Ultimate Despair, with full extensive knowledge of what the program would have done to others I carried on with it. It was my doing that helped precipitate the grand unravelling design, the chords which made a world go on its knees."_

" _I am the voice of despair, the one who cheered the deaths of your loved ones, the brutality of the world, the one who cursed the name of Hope, I am Monokuma!"_

The man paused, his voice hoarse and cracked as a streak of red blood trailed from his cybernetic eye as he gasped for breath, his shivering body indicating his weak resolve as he barely held back his feelings in front of the camera. He took a deep breath before he continued on with his speech.

"… _People of Towa city, I admit the truth and the extent of my failings to you all. Nothing I can do, can bring all those you have lost back to yourselves…all I can offer, is my life to the Future Foundation to decide my absolute and final fate under their judgement. Whether they kill me, or they spare me, the decision in my hesitation to end the Towa threat, is in your talented hands. So to the Future Foundation I say this to you: find me, track this broadcast to the source…and when you do, do whatever you want."_

The two occupants were speechless as the screen faded to a static feed, the man known as Masaru Saito disappearing from their sight as Munakata removed a disc from the video player placing it atop the desk while he leaned against the furniture, his hands leaving their pockets as he glanced at Kyouko who was registering what she had seen.

"We were scouting for the Ultimate Despair when two of our operatives came across this recording. Apparently when the forces of Despair were defeated by Genocider Shou and Komaru Naegi, the blockade of communications around the city was broken and one of our outposts picked up this message. We had little time to investigate since the Ultimate Despair were our top priority." Munakata paused as he stored the disc into a small cover slipping it into his suit. "When you were busy with the Neo-World Program, I got some of my men to investigate the area for any presence of Masaru Saito."

"And what did you find?" Kyouko spoke to the point, Munakata lifting himself off the table to hit the intercom button at his desk.

"Send them in."

The door to the office opened again, this time ushering in a woman with platinum blonde hair and a well-muscled toned man in suits and matching pants to go with it, the pair giving a crisp nod of greeting to the silver-haired president. "Munakata-san, you called for us?"

"Lancaster, Anechka." Munakata greeted the pair curtly, the two giving a short bow to their superior and at Kyouko, Lancaster giving Naegi a bright cheerful smile while Anechka and Kirigiri locked eyes, both parties staring at one another for a few seconds before they both nodded simultaneously acknowledging one another before they looked to Munakata.

"These were the two that managed to find the location which Masaru Saito was hiding in. They were also charged with bringing him back to the Future Foundation for questioning about his role in the Tragedy." Munakata glanced at Kyouko, devoid of any emotion regarding Naegi as Kyouko returned his glare impassively. "We managed to find him just as he said he was hiding at, and brought him along on this ship."

"You don't have to speak about someone in the third person when they're right here." A single voice from the doorway called out to Munakata who sent an instant glare at the direction, Kyouko tensed considerably upon hearing the high pitch tone, expressions mixed with recognition and in Makoto's case, fear as he turned around. "When I did my broadcast, I expected the adults of Towa city to have reached me first, and have lynched me in the streets. But it looks like I had some stroke of luck that the Future Foundation could welcome me with open arms."

Walking towards Munakata flanked by the two operatives who were clearly unsettled by his presence as Lancaster cleared his throat while Anechka's gloved hands squeezed into fists, a single male standing at 7 feet with dark brown hair and a mechanical eye beneath a red tinted window streak, dressed in a half-black and white shirt separated by a horizontal line set with a set of white pants looked around the room before giving a curl of a frown at Munakata.

"Munakata, should have known that you were the one who would have hunted me down. No one else that I know had the efficiency that you had in pursuing a task."

"I have told you before, I will and have been always working towards fighting and eliminating any aspect of despair that I find. Even if it includes you."

"Oh please, enough with the traitor talk. If you were in my position, you would have done the same for the name of 'Hope' and whatever propaganda campaign they cooked up for us all." Masaru retorted with as much venom and spite that he could inject to the silver-haired man, sizing up with Munakata as his dark green eyes clashed with grey orbs silently between them.

"I won't be like you."

"Hmph, one day that obsession of hope will cost you…more than your friends." Masaru spoke edgily, tearing his gaze away from the man as he noticed Kyouko in the corner. It was then upon them locking eyes that Masaru's frown took character and began to stretch deeper as he scratched the tip of his nose. Kyouko remained still, her facial expression giving nothing about her own emotions or thoughts away as Masaru gave a sweeping hand in her direction.

"So you have her here too?" Masaru glanced at Kyouko before turning back to Munakata and at Lancaster. "Having Jin killed by Hope's Peak wasn't enough for them, was it? They had to recruit you into their pot of lies?"

"I came here of my own free will." Masaru turned towards Kyouko, the man surprised at her reply as he immediately lost his dry grin. Kyouko could see a small hint of disappointment in Masaru's face as he stared at her for a moment, considering her words before his countenance began to fall into a bit tongue in cheek before he shook his head. "…Then you are as brainwashed as the rest of them are, Kirigiri. You're going to pay for this, all of you."

"Enough. Lancaster, Anechka." Munakata ordered the pair who immediately subdued Masaru by his arms and elbows, the man saying nothing more while he was forcibly escorted out of the room glaring viciously at Munakata on his forced exit.

"What are you going to do with him?"

"We're putting him on trial, get him to admit how far his involvement with Monokuma goes beyond production lines and have him confess."

"And what would you accomplish out of it?" Kyouko questioned Munakata with an emphasised resonance. "From what I've seen, he was ready to admit that he has done wrong and while I do have doubts to his sincerity, surrendering to Future Foundation for trial would be the last thing a Remnant of Despair would even do."

"He has admitted that he too is just as a part of Despair as the rest of them are." Munakata insisted, his voice upping in volume as he shot an incensed look at Kyouko. "You heard his broadcast in Towa, his sincerity as he spoke of the attacks and how he has played his part. He is no different from an accomplice."

"And so he is considered a part of **your** Despair." Kyouko noted sternly, making sure he could hear the punctuated emphasis as Munakata let out an altercated breath of hot air as he turned his back on her to move towards the glass. "You are dismissed, Kirigiri. We'll talk when we reach the place for the trial."

Seeing that he wasn't going to budge or pursue the topic with his obvious dismissal, Kyouko turned on her heel and left the room, the detective shutting the door behind her as she passed the doorman who gave her a crisp salute. It was only once she had turned the corner did Kyouko's shoulders sink a tad lower than her usual as she collected her thoughts on what she had heard.

"Masaru Saito…Monokuma."

Kyouko shut her eyes for a moment before she opted to walk towards the lower deck, recalling Makoto and Aoi's parting words about going to the makeshift café on the ship as she strode down the tight hallway. She hoped that the two of them were still there waiting on her.

After all of that, she desperately needed a Luwuck.

End


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One: Nightmare, Trial…Reunion.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa save for my OCs.

Hello one and all, I think that this time I should reveal some changes to the main story. Don't worry, hardly any major spoilers though.

Bandai's NG code: The one thing that was on my mind for episode two…they just killed the poor dude before he could show more of his personality to create distrust. So because of that, and the appearance of the OC, his code has changed to give him some longevity before he could possibly die…maybe, maybe not.

New codes: Forbidden actions for everyone, and by everyone I mean the two new OCs! That's right, only two new OCs will join the game, nothing more because we'll have too many participants and the game is already long as it is with the anime. New characters may appear, but mostly in the outside world in flashbacks…or maybe a secret character? Meh, reality is I need to think it carefully.

Anyways, enjoy the show.

" _Hahahaha, what a day!" Junko Enoshima laughed heartily as she flung herself into her chair, sliding across the main control room of the forbidden level, her hair flaying with her rocking head as she grabbed a Monokuma plushie to her chest holding it in front of her face._

" _Another murder to the counter! Another hopeless idiot finally killed someone after all that boring Naegi talk about not giving up, ugh! I hate that idealistic hopeful bastard!" Junko flopped against the chair, pushing it back on its wheels while she snuggled the sewn bear. "Well, time for the fun to start again! The clues, the mystery…the class trial!"_

 _Junko's mouth watered with absolute joy, the thought of people dying again in her setup punishment sequences beginning to play out. Who would be next? What will be the verdict? How will the culprit slither through the truth? Everything was so unpredictable!_

" _Oh my, classmates, if you continue to spoil me, I'll get wet!" Junko squealed in delight, kicking her heels._

" _Even so, my favourite part of this has to be killing my own sister! The stupid bitch was ready to die in my place to let me live while also shocked that I would follow through on my threat! How despairingly awesome seeing that face!" Junko sneered as she recalled the taste of despair just from seeing Mukuro's look of utter shock as the Gungnir spears pierced her body, the bloody mess on the gym floor and the frightened faces of her former classmates was a thrill. Glancing over her shoulder from her chair, she gave a sneer at the dim room behind her._

" _But that just me. What do you like about the game…Monokuma?"_

 _Sitting in a chair, devoid of emotion and utterly powerless with metal restraints locking down his wrists and ankles, the latter with chains attached to the metal chair, sat a man with his head bowed while a trail of red droplets dripped from his head where a bunch of surgical scars lined his forehead. His black hair was clumped together in sticky sweat, his shirt completely coloured red at the front while the stench of dried blood clots mixed with water created a rust-like scent._

 _Junko's grin grew wider at the man's shallow breaths, his one good eye glancing at the mastermind with a burning hatred before he bared a bloody set of teeth at her which remained unbroken. "…Go and bother someone else…Junko…"_

" _Aw, but I killed the very last person that would be easy to bother, and Mikan-chan is away too doing everything she can to aid Despair, and can't be my punching bag! With just you and me around, who can I even turn to for help than my knight in shining black and white armour of despair, Monokuma!" Junko's expression turned to glee once more, skipping around Masaru as he shook the chair, trying his luck to slip out of the wrist restraints. Junko responded by leaning over towards him, placing her hands on his own, causing the man to halt his struggle, his mouth twitched while his eyes remained fixated on his shoes, noting the mix of red dots sprinkling over his knees._

" _Besides, you didn't end up all soup and brains with all the rewiring we gave you, did you? Mukuro gave you a chance, but you managed to take everything she threw at you, and spat it back in her face!" Junko reminisced as she placed her hands against her cheeks, recalling the huffs of frustration and anger which was on Mukuro's face the whole time while Masaru laughed and cursed her, Junko feeling a euphoria bursting in her chest as her heart leapt with joy. Junko turned back to Masaru, showing her 'adorable' persona face to the voice actor who growled at her. "It's okay though, I forgive you for that. Only because Mukuro is a disgusting, smelly, useless fat slut who's always clawing back to me when she can't find anyone to satisfy!"_

" _You…heartless, scum."_

 _*Smack*_

" _Either way, since you were going to be so uncooperative to fall into despair, what better way to fix you than with watching the game unfold before your very eyes…while you're tied in your chair like a hog facing the roast stickler?! Ahahahahaha!" Junko crossed her hands over her face, her eyes turning into spirals while she revelled, Masaru feeling the sting of the slap reverberating against his cheekbone as he curled his tongue. Seeing his resistant glare, Junko grabbed the cricket bat in her hands, slapping the weapon against her right palm followed by doing some practice swings. "A shame though, I figured you hearing your chocolate smooth voice, the laughter you made with my extraordinary help of course would break you and make you despair, but alas you're still here, all brain and no despair even when your mind should be in disrepair."_

" _Go to hell…"_

 _*thwack*_

 _Masaru felt a sting in his head as the cricket bat swung towards him, slapping him across the face as he spat out a wad of blood, his nose beginning to bleed a fresh line of crimson red while he cried out meekly, hissing through his teeth. Groaning, Masaru glared back at Junko who rested the bat on her shoulder standing triumphantly over his bound body, giggling manically at his injury._

" _You damn witch…no matter what you plan to do to me, you won't break me."_

" _Really now…" Junko's face darkened as a royal crown appeared over her head, the Ultimate Despair digging the heel of her shoe into his upper thigh, pointing down at his forehead while her head cocked back a 45-degree angle barely seeing the upper half of his face. "You better think on your words, little bear. You should be grateful that I'm even letting you live and read off the script rather than just killing you for the hell of it like I did with Mukuro. If not for Monokuma, and my hopes for the real person to voice that pitch along with Monaca's humble offering, you wouldn't be here with a front row seat to my game."_

" _When I get out of here, I will burn this place to the ground…with you in it." Masaru threatened as he squeezed his fingers against his palms, Junko faking a look of horror as she inched back._

" _Oh, I'm terribly frightened. But I'm impressed, do tell me how you are able to do that." Junko tilted up her glasses as she struck a haughty pose, her legs far apart while she folded her arms under her breasts, the pair jiggling a little as she held the glasses tightly. "You're chained up, stuck with me alone in our little secret dungeon while all your friends are either dead or do not care. They're busy attending to funerals, lots of lost friends that wouldn't even miss you at all. In fact, you should be thanking me that I even bothered to let you stay! And not to mention that Monaca readily gave you up when you ran and hid like a coward behind the Towa group, the one person you thought could keep you safe from me!"_

" _Screw off…witch."_

 _*Thwack*_

 _The cricket bat slammed into his gut, the rough blow forcing the wind out of his diaphragm and lungs as he gasped for air, Masaru leaning forward as his hands wiggled and clenched attempting to break the metal bands in order to massage his torso._

 _*Thwack*_

" _KKRRAGGGKK!" Another blow on his back, the cricket bat purposefully striking him with the sides to maximise the impact to his spine, his arm going limp as he tried to shake off the concussion._

" _We'll see how confident you are, oh brave little talent of mine," Junko grinned as she tossed the cricket bat to the floor as she leaned to stare inches between their faces, smirking as Masaru flinched back. Junko's hand went to her back and pulled, metal and wheels squeaking across the floor like a timid mouse approaching a piece of cheese as Junko slowly dragged the object behind her inching out from her back. What came into his view was a wheelie, the carrier jittering and jumping as it went over a crack in the concrete as the clatter of metal and glass rebounded off the walls, coming to a halt in front of Masaru, giving him a full view of what laid in store for the captured voice actor._

 _The metal cart was bloody, red dots and splashes littered the surface while small splotches of water from a basin with a pure white towel soaking in the lukewarm water. Set in neat rows, from the smallest to the sharpest, an array of scalpels, some knives, a hammer, torture clamps lined the length of the tray._

 _Masaru gritted his teeth, the man glancing at the tools with disdain._

" _What are these, more of your toys?"_

" _No, much better...so much better than that." Junko chuckled as she reached for the tray, continuing to address him while she fumbled for a random tool, fishing out a scalpel which she sneaked a grin before grabbing Masaru's face in her hand, the voice actor turning his head away from her as she cradled his face in her hand. "Such insolence to the Queen cannot go unpunished, wouldn't you say the same?"_

" _*cough* Wouldn't know…*cough*. I ain't some Queen bitch."_

 _*Thwack*_

 _Masaru's head swam along with his thoughts as the sting of the bat returned to his vision, crashing across the left side of his head slammed his head against the backrest of the chair, a small cut began to open as a trickle of blood broke through the bruised temple skin. Before he could say anything else, Junko's hand shot to cusp his chin sliding her palm across as he tried to inch away, hitting the backboard of the chair._

" _Such ill manners. You may have been a tough guy during our re-education program, but nothing is so tough to break once you add in the required touch." Junko emphasised with the smashing of the large clamp, Masaru glaring at her as he struggled harder against his restraints but to no avail. Junko walked up to the chair, her boots strutting across the gap between them as she took in the look of panic forming on Masaru's face as she brought the clamp down towards his right hand._

" _Make sure you scream as much as you like. Make me feel your despair, your pain…" Junko said softly as her fingers ran along his right hand, which was curling inward as she removed a hammer from the tray._

 _Ding Dong, Ding Dong!_

" _Cause its curfew time."_

 _*wham*_

" _GGGGRRRAAAAHHHHH!" The bones on his hand cracked with a sickening snap, Masaru's eyes bulging wide as tears began to pour down his cheeks in a renewed stream. As he attempted to breathe, Junko retaliated with another thump on his hand, snapping another bone creating another hoarse scream._

" _Oh, what a sound!" Junko said playfully, a hand to her mouth as she tapped the hammer in the air while Masaru's eyes contracted from the force of the blow, his left hand completely still. "I never knew you could make a wonderful sound with that, but it's not loud enough for me."_

 _Junko looked back at the tray while she ignored the screams of Masaru, tossing the hammer ignorantly onto the tray, her fingers skimming over the next item as she pulled out a long surgical knife, her thumb running along the sharp end of the blade feeling the pressure against her skin. "Let's go with…this one next."_

 _Shoving her hand to his chin, Masaru's breath began to quicken upon her cold touch, the voice actor's eyes not leaving the clamp which inched closer to his fingers. The clamp found its victim as it snatched the tip of his fingernail within the jaws of the machine, the voice actor freezing still while he looked at Junko, well awake from his trauma to see her glowering face, spiral eyes and bright smile in the face of this despair…_

 _"No..stop," Masaru pleaded, his body rigid as he saw the tool in her hand. "Please, no...stop it!"_

 _"Oh my, but you're the one who wanted to burn me with the school down. Why would I take that lying down?" Junko tipped her glasses while she gave a haughty sneer, Junko immediately switching her glasses for the crown atop of her head. "No one messes with the Queen of Despair, and there are consequences."_

 _Grabbing the hammer, Junko raised it for a downward strike on his head, the man coughing out a stream of blood as his mind began to drift._

" _Go on, make more music for me. Everyone's asleep…and that means no one can hear you scream for the next ten hours."_

 _Masaru felt his blood run cold._

 _"I've told you, time and time, and time again. You shouldn't disobey me...but hey." Junko shrugged, leaning her head to his ear as she probed her tongue to lick the surrounding lobe in slow, masterful slurps._

 _"N...No...s...stop..."_

 _"The reward for Despair is always free."_

 _*Clink*_

" _And the fingernail goes…BREAK!"_

 _The next thing he heard and saw, as his screams became hollow and hoarse, was the image of white noise and red blots dotting his eyes._

A set of eyes opened with a flutter, the figure in the bed shifting as it burst through the covers, a swift gasp was all that was heard before the figure smeared a hand over his face, the sweat's leaking salt stinging his eyes as he winced. Masaru Saito felt a feeling of dread, his hand lowering from his face as he removed the bedsheet, glancing at his body, his Monokuma eye reading his heartbeat while a friendly window of warning about heart attacks was shown scrolling in his electronic vision.

"…"

Masaru's face twisted into a sour, distressed frown, the hand which was on his face sank onto the covers as he tapped his Monokuma eye, the warning disappearing as a Monokuma head giggled at him. Enoshima Junko. The name itself brought a bad tiding and untold horror to those who lived through the Tragedy, the name that caused many to die and continue to die in her name, or at least in the name of what she stood for. His mind was assaulted by the image of her face, the pair of grey eyes taunting him while her wide childish grin and the Monokuma plushie in hand…

"…" Masaru looked around, using the room to tear his mind from wondering about her, staring up at the four walls which confined him to the hard uncomfortable bed of the brig.

"Heh, could've afforded something else more comfortable than some bed and a bucket." Masaru tossed himself over to the other side, staring at the metal plates which prevented his means of feeling the saltwater air. "In fact, this place could use some décor…"

 _Black and white, half in half perhaps, or the stripes…oooh, Junko loved stripes…_

"M-Maybe we just need something else…s-something to keep me company…"

 _A soft squishy bear, maybe I will get a black one with red eyes and a white one together in a set…_

"…I, don't like black and white that much…"

 _Pink, that will do, pink is the way to go…paint some red, make it half white._

"…You're not in Hope's Peak anymore." Masaru reminded himself, the man attempting to blot out the thoughts as he felt his brain itch at the mere thought of being suppressed. "Come on, pull yourself together…you aren't…"

 _Black and red, black and red, the colours of despair can be black and red._

"…I can escape from this, from you." He uttered at the ceiling.

 _Hope and Despair, are unpredictable. And so are you._

"…" Masaru's eyes went dull, the thoughts swirling and swimming in his head like worms.

While he knew her as the mastermind like everyone else, he also knew her as a twisted fiend up close and personal. He could still remember his last day at the Towa Robotics' production studio. He was practicing in the studio by himself, reciting some lines for the Monokuma production line when he was gassed and knocked out. The weakness was his fault due to having chosen the overtime to work at night, at the time, he wasn't in the mood to go home. This made him easy prey, and when he awoke he was locked in a room with no way out other than a bed, some empty diary books, pens and his entire wardrobe from his flat in Towa taken to his prison cell. A studio was inside, and within it, a note.

 _Read the new script._

The order was given despite him refusing to at first, and while he did resist in subsequent days, he was treated to the sight of the Towa group's henchmen, the very employers he worked for, coming in and beating him when he expressed hesitance and resistance to the idea. It took them a month, but eventually he had to read all those lines, start to finish. Each and every line he read took the breath out of him, the ideas, the suggestions, the words that were once full of joy and meant to comfort turned to malice and hatred destroying the very creation he had to make. As a creator, the most difficult thing to do is to turn around and say that you regret doing a role, as it brought all sorts of guilt and grief with it.

He was turned over to Junko eventually, the question of when didn't matter to him. He didn't care when they brought him to her, where he had his 'reward' for his valiant service. The very thought of the word and what he went through was past the concept of 'reward'. He was brutalised, tortured, and while he was suffering from hammered nails in his feet and torn fingernails with bloodied shaky fingers, she told him what it finally meant.

Reward was always despair for free. And the next few months she proved it, over and over again.

"It doesn't matter anymore." The statement echoed out loud from his mouth in half-protest, the room's tranquil quiet doing nothing to ease the pain he had, Masaru clutching his chest as he gripped the bedsheets, feeling a sinking emotion of guilt. "It doesn't matter anymore…"

Junko didn't matter, she shouldn't matter. She was dead, they killed her. It was over.

Yet he didn't feel like it could be. They were approaching the island, soon they would land on the location where the other branch leaders were waiting for them to judge them. For him, it was all going to be over.

 _Sleep, and when the time comes, ooh the feeling of dying…you can rest._

"Maybe, just maybe…I can finally rest." He spoke, for once in agreement with the voice as he shook his head, massaging his temple. He glanced out at the window, where the blood red sea and sky met his reflection in the port window. He visibly felt his earlier panic lessen into a deep soothing calm rhythm of his heart, the impact of the nightmare going away. Satisfied, he turned back to his sleep.

On the other side of the ship, another man was thinking about his upcoming trial, unable to sleep as the hours ticked away. Naegi Makoto had always prided himself in the fact that he had a workplace on a ship, the sea was a nauseating experience at first to the uninitiated but it soon grew on a person exposed long enough to the voyages, the traveling, and seeing new places. When he had first joined the Future Foundation, he was nervous to say the least about his entry alongside Kyouko, Byakuya, Asahina and Hagakure who were immediately welcomed into the ranks by Kazuo Tengan, the former headmaster before Jin Kirigiri who had explained that they were busy trying to infiltrate the former school grounds with their forces only to meet heavy resistance. With each passing day, efforts seemed completely futile as the Monokumas overwhelmed human resources, and the school became a battleground to secure the remaining children. The ending result as Makoto could testify, was bittersweet. Six members of the original class made it out, the betrayal of Enoshima Junko stung on their minds, and they were already willing to join the newfound organisation. He had seen many things, many acts of bravery, courage, despair and death, the walls of his room proved it with photos and other memorials from his adventures, each with their own story to tell.

Now the very same space, the very room he could with confidence once state as a place of solace, became a prison. Guards rotated in shifts outside his door, while a blow torch was put to his door to create a port window for the guards to routinely check on him and a small slot with a tray welded in for food. Sure, Naegi was allowed to roam the ship however he pleased, however he had to be in the care of soldiers or his branch head Kyouko who always managed to reserve time for him and her to have space. Even then, no conversation was secret anymore, he couldn't express the emotions that he normally could with her when they were alone…and it hurt. Even though she never showed it, Makoto had a suspicion that the same way could be said for her too, then again she never carried her heart on her sleeve like him according to her.

Kyouko, the woman's name resonated with Naegi as he felt his chest grow heavier, his heart beginning to beat faster against his chest. Naegi immediately shook his head, as images of her face flashed through his mind, causing his cheeks to feel heat rising to the surface of his skin. Out of the rest of the group, Kyouko was the only one besides Byakuya who were unsurprised by the turn of events when he was intercepted by Munakata, and promptly arrested by the fleet. Byakuya had only managed to get away by the skin of his teeth, his boat far from them when it happened and Munakata had decided not to pursue the Togami heir. Kyouko kept standing up for him,

Makoto wasn't sure of what to think. He saw Kyouko as a close friend, but he also saw her as a woman. Since their induction into Future Foundation to today, she had grown from the cold stoic personality who found their interactions meaningless in Hope's Peak, to a friend who was always there to remind him of what they were fighting for. She was the stone, the cornerstone in his life, and while his fellow classmates were special, none held a position higher than her.

But what did he really think of the woman who was Kyouko Kirigiri? What was she to him? Makoto hadn't figured it out yet, but with such a long time to know her, he knew the answer enough to hide it from himself.

Now wasn't the time for him to pursue that thought. When his name was cleared, he would ask her…and then, with luck, he will have his answer then. Makoto turned in his bed, the young man frowning as he stared at the digital clock counting down.

Soon, very soon.

* * *

Days later

The remote island with a tall skyscraper in the center with bright white lights emanating from every window pane stood like a beacon in the middle of the blood red sky, to Naegi Makoto the tower almost looked like a physical manifestation of hope made into a marvel of steel and glass. The chopper's blades continued to dice the air around them, creating the stability for flight as Makoto looked away from the window to the main body.

Inside the passenger car, Munakata intently kept his eyes on him from his position at the window, the set of fierce orbs frightening Makoto from even speaking, Makoto opting to look away from him though he felt Munakata's eyes still attentively watching him like a predator. Sitting a seat away from him was Asahina and Hagakure being mashed in the middle, the two of them giving a wary look at Munakata as if he would attack him at any moment. Beside him, eyes closed while lights from the other choppers passed over her face, was Kyouko taking the time of quiet to get some well-needed rest.

Makoto took this opportunity while the others were being distracted by whatever that was on their minds to take a closer look. Kyouko's face was relatively stone faced as he always had seen, her expression refusing to betray her emotions in the face of anything, Makoto actually felt genuinely disappointed.

It was something that he didn't like but appreciated. Had she not been so hard to read, the various cases and situations they had been through may not have been solved with her composed and rational thinking. However, it felt like a waste. Back at Hope's Peak, he once tried to surprise her by saying that her lack of a smile was a shame due to her being beautiful. Kyouko had feigned surprise, and hurt by manipulating his concern for others' wellbeing to fool him back, much to her amusement at his expense and told him he was being too open about his emotions. It was one of the times she let out a small smile, one that genuinely had fun rather than just one that she usually expressed which was akin to a smirk. Seeing her peaceful expression, free of the despair and the stress of the waking world, Naegi couldn't help but let out a soft hearted smile.

 _Kyouko…looks cute when she's asleep._

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Makoto heard a voice quietly addressing him in a suppressed tone, the Ultimate Hope looking over Kyouko's sleeping figure to see a single human eye and a Monokuma scar with a yellow colored robotic eye looking right back at him, a smile accompanying the look. Makoto felt a fearful chill down his spine, Masaru wasn't a threat to Makoto, not in the sense that he would kill him in a heartbeat, he was strangely sociable. When he found out who he was, Makoto admitted that he felt dread and Kyouko remained guarded and shared her suspicions with Asahina and Hagakure who were less than stellar to have the very person who was behind the voice that taunted, laughed, revelled and most of all went out of its way to antagonise the memory of their friends' deaths.

For Makoto too, the sight of the very man responsible for being the voice disturbed him to no end. To Makoto and his friends, while he was simply a voice in a machine, he represented all that they feared in Monokuma and Junko. He, the mouthpiece, still filled the horrors of the city with his preaching of chaos, death, destruction and despairing at the end. The attempt to dissociate him from the role that he played was hard to distinguish, and the way he acted like Monokuma had nothing to do with him was unnerving to Asahina and Hagakure, who felt that he was putting up an act. Kyouko seemed to think so as well, but unlike the others she had not chosen to be antagonistic towards him, rather she treated him neutrally. Even so, Makoto had to admit, he didn't know what to think of his character just yet with the few days spent with his company. Masaru had kept to himself, locking himself in his room mostly until it came to meals and several instances where he was bored that he would speak to them. He never divulged, only joked and spoke briefly, Kyouko acknowledged that he was being careful, but about what he couldn't say.

"Huh?"

"She looks real adorable, ain't she? You got that puppy-sick look on your face that says it all."

"I-I don't!" Makoto felt his face fluster as he protested, turning his head away as he tried to keep his voice down from his embarrassment, noticing Munakata immediately returning his gaze to them upon noticing the small exchange.

"Hmm, haven't told her yet, have you? I see, I see." Masaru placed a hand under his chin, his grin along with his Monokuma implanted eye made the gesture of teasing much more devious than it meant to be, Makoto swallowing whatever fear he had enough to protest. "I told you it isn't like that! She just…I just, wanted to see if she was awake."

"Right." Masaru relaxed into his seat, his legs crossed over while he looked opposite at Munakata. "I see my old classmate is still giving the stink eye to both of us…we must be so lucky to be graced by a talent such as him."

Munakata merely replied with a scalding stare, as though Masaru would catch fire.

"Masaru, just to ask, why are you even dressed like that?" Hagakure asked, his voice not bothering with an amount of discomfort and disgust. Makoto had to do his best not to flinch at the man's choice of clothes for the occasion either. Masaru was dressed in a single short sleeved red dress shirt with two breast pockets, a loosened crimson red tie with black stripes hanging pointlessly around his neck collar which was covered by an ash over magnolia dyed jacket, the colours mixed into a strange blend almost like faint spirals. His torso was matched by the white pants he wore, complete with a pair of black shoes.

"It's a trial, one has to look their best if we're going to be executed."

"That won't happen to Naegi!" Hagakure immediately defended while Masaru laughed. "Of course he won't..." Masaru trailed off before he turned to the window, his expression grim, "at least for him."

The chopper began to sink from the sky on the helipad slowly, descending onto the platform guided by the flares which were burning brightly to guide the way. As the vehicle landed, a squad of soldiers began to form up on either side of the walkway to the inside of the tower, standing at attention while the chopper's occupants slid open the door, Munakata being the first man out to address the welcoming party.

"Welcome back, Munakata-san." One of the soldiers saluted as the rest of the squad followed suit, Munakata giving a curt nod before the soldier saluted Kyouko as well, the detective giving a brief nod in response while Asahina and Hagakure were speaking with Naegi. Masaru jumped off the helicopter onto the floor, rolling his shoulders as he kicked his legs out from sitting in the cramped space.

"Where are the others?"

"They're already in the briefing room waiting for you, sir." The captain replied as Naegi and his escort joined them, Masaru giving Naegi a brief nod while Kyouko returned his look with a stare.

"Then let's be off, I don't want to delay this longer than I have to." Munakata turned to the group. "We're leaving, Naegi, Masaru."

The group began to move into the building, Hagakure moved to join the group before a pair of guards stood in front of the self-proclaimed fortune teller, blocking his way. "Hey, what's the big deal? Let me through!"

"Hagakure! Hey, what's the big deal?! He's with us!"

Munakata turned back swiftly, his hands in his pant pockets looking at Hagakure being manhandled by the security detail, looking back to Asahina. "Hagakure is going to be a distraction if he's with you. Besides, he is insignificant in these matters."

"But not me?" Asahina complained, pointing to herself. "Am I insignificant too?"

"You're allowed to enter because you're with the 13th Branch division, as such due to the 13th branch leader's absence you are to be the representative for the branch, Hagakure is not." Munakata replied without hesitation, looking at Hagakure continuing to bash his way through. "I only need one troublesome person, not two."

"I see. Tell me, is this a part of your 'conditions' as well? How obvious are you going to be with this?" Kyouko replied stoically, Munakata not bothering to reply to her remark as he continued on, Kyouko watching him walk on before she and Naegi began to follow keeping their distance from Munakata while Asahina kept looking at Hagakure's plight and back to the departing group.

"But…"

"Come on, we have to go." Masaru stated to Asahina while he walked past, the swimmer hesitating as she watched Hagakure continue to elbow and shout at the pair of tough men, the fortune teller making no progress past the human blockade as Asahina reluctantly followed after them. The group could hear Hagakure's protests even as they entered past the glass doors, the glass not thick enough to block out the noises of the scuffle.

"You may join him if you like. After all, should you disobey the wishes of a representative for the 13th branch I would not blame you…this is not the concern for a branch member with no authority." Munakata's uncaring statement earned a snarl from Asahina, insulted by his demeaning jab at her position as the group walked on, Asahina barely able to control herself from striding up and punching Munakata before a gloved hand found its way to her shoulder. Asahina saw Kyouko giving a shake of her head, discouraging her as the swimmer took a deep breath, her anger simmering below her boiling point while Kyouko removed her hand from Asahina.

"Hey Munakata, you gonna talk to me for a second?" Masaru eyed the back of Munakata as he walked alongside the group of soldiers, his question meeting silence from the Future Foundation branch head. Kyouko on the other hand was glancing around at the soldiers, observing their weapons for any sign of aggression towards Naegi while her mask of indifference maintained its calm composure. Naegi was quiet, the young man deep in his thoughts regarding the trial while Asahina was looking at the escort guard nervously, on the lookout for any sudden movements. Passing through the hallways, Naegi glanced at the walls, spotting a line of monitors hanging overhead on either side prompting a curious look from the Ultimate Hope.

"There are a lot of monitors…" He observed to his companions, Asahina hearing his whisper as she looked up, noticing the amount of monitor screens. "Maybe they just want more security? This is Munakata we're talking about after all…"

 _Strange indeed,_ Kyouko mentally agreed with Naegi, her eyes flickering to the rows of black screens.

After five minutes of walking through the monotone white hallways with the mass number of monitors, the group had arrived near the briefing room's double doors, two guards saluting Munakata who addressed them with a curt nod. Turning his head to give a side glance at Naegi and Masaru, Munakata spoke to the captain at his side.

"Take them to the holding room, keep them there until we are ready to send them in."

* * *

Meeting room, a few minutes earlier

"It's been a while since we all were able to meet like this." An old gentleman in a brown trench coat addressed the other occupants, the room only lit by the large panels of computer screens on the wall while the table lit up with a large electronic screen protected by the glass panel. The elderly man's eyes were shielded by the light reflecting off his pair of square-framed glasses, wrinkled hands interlocked with one another, a well shaved goatee and moustache of white hair covering most of his mouth hiding the frown he had looking over the group before him.

 _Kazuo Tengan, former Hope's Peak Academy Headmaster and advisor_

"Chairman," a low voice from the end of the table spoke up, as a large burly male in a suit and a bull mask gazed in the old man's direction a pair of red eyes on the mask looking at the elderly man, "if we're here does this mean that…?"

"Yes, Gozu it is about Makoto Naegi. After some conclusive evidence gathered by Munakata, he was found to be guilty of at least hiding the Remnants of Despair from us after our major operations crippled their intent to cause more despair in the world." The old man reported to Gozu, the man in the bull mask letting out a silent held breath as his head was slightly bowed.

"So that's that then."

 _Great Gozu, Wrestling Super Level Talent_

"Munakata was very generous in giving his information, in fact the Neo World Program's name being mentioned in it was surprising to say the least." The chairman spoke as a woman with orange hair tied into a large high ponytail with green eyes wearing a white lab coat over her office blouse and skirt with black stockings walked over to the table. The woman held onto a serving tray with a teapot and several teacups and saucers, handing one in front of the chairman who gratefully took a sip.

"Mm, thank you Yukizome, this fragrance is well brewed." The man commented brightly, the woman identified as Yukizome smiled in glee at his praise, moving on to the next attendee beside him.

 _Chisa Yukizome, former Housekeeper and totally not Kyousuke's crush_

"It's been a long time indeed!" An unnaturally high pitched voice spoke from the right, Ruruka wincing as she looked to her left, where an African man of muscular build and a full beard with an afro and a wide smile wearing a green short sleeved summer shirt over his white singlet complete with a pair of mud brown cargo pants sat at the table.

 _Bandai: SHSL farmer. Specialises in creating farms for food storage across the new world._

"I have managed to compile a list of Bandai sayings for everyone just for this occasion, to commemorate our gathering!" Bandai spoke as he reached into his jacket pocket.

"Then why not just kill him?" A girl dressed in a bright pink overcoat hoodie with white fur wearing a multicolored beanie, a head of cheek length orange hair and green emerald eyes staring at Gozu and Tengan. "I mean it's obvious we're wasting our time here when we have better things to worry about."

 _Ruruka: SHSL Confectioner. Hangs around Izayoi while creating candy for personal use._

"Uh, guys, don't you want to hear what I have for you?" Bandai asked meekly as he was sidelined by a scoffing look by Ruruka forcing him to keep quiet.

"Branch Leader Ruruka…" Gozu addressed the interloper formally, sliding his fist across the table with his body while he gazed opposite his position staring at Ruruka, Gozu's tone staying calm contrasting his baritone voice chiding the previous speaker. "That is not the ideal solution to just jump into when Naegi Makoto isn't present to give us his case."

"And why not? He's a traitor, simple as that. And traitors need to get their just rewards. No one must dare turn their back on the Future Foundation." Ruruka stated maliciously as she turned her gaze down at her lap, where a blonde haired man in a red trench coat with multiple straps across his chest to his waist spacing apart for his dark brown pants laid resting, the girl's demeanour changing into a smile as she reached into a small bag beside her, plucking out a small round candy ball. "Eat up, Izayoi."

"Ahhh," the man identified as Izayoi opened his mouth, the candy dropping into his mouth as he chewed merrily. "Delicious."

 _Izayoi: SHSL Blacksmith. Director of the Weapon's development program branch._

"That is still no excuse for us to execute a fellow nakama based on suspicion alone." Gozu objected, Ruruka already tuning him out to tend to Izayoi as he turned to Tengan. "Chairman, certainly you feel the same way about all of this."

"I have to agree, I am interested to know what he was thinking when he let the Remnants on Jabbawock Island," Tengan replied as he scratched his chin with a finger. "While it is necessary that we eliminate the Ultimate Despairs for the greater good, for Naegi Makoto to do such a thing behind our backs is very concerning…and brings his loyalty into question due to his previous actions. In addition, such actions do not fit his personality to say that he is a member of Ultimate Despair."

"There's nothing to talk about. We still have the Remnants on the loose, attacking us where we least expect it, we should be out there taking them out!" Another male voice, from a branch leader with ebony black shoulder length hair, black eyes and dark tanned skin wearing a black overcoat with a fur lined hood, glancing over his fellow members. "Makoto Naegi is such a traitor, he harbours our worst enemies, the ones for whom many of Future Foundation's soldiers lost their lives to capture, and for what? So he can play doctor and 'rehabilitate' them? That…Neo-World Program is nothing more than a sham project for something more than just rehabilitation, but reprogramming them, reviving them into the Ultimate Despair when we are weak."

 _Sakakura Juzo: Boxer, over aggressive brute, and Iron fist of Future Foundation_

"Impossible," a woman with turquoise hair and blue eyes along with a red scarf, black cardigan and red skirt with stockings interjected softly standing up nervously from her seat, her left index being rubbed by her right forefinger and thumb around the width, "the Neo World Program was not designed for whatever purpose you think its capable of! I would know because I had a hand in it. The Program was a virtual simulation project, meant to be an inspiration for hope amongst the public."

 _Miaya Gekkoughara: Therapist, cyber and hacking division director. Socially shy._

"Oh sure, but when it involves the Ultimate Despair and their lackeys, anything can go wrong!" Sakakura spoke with a sarcastic tone to her, Miaya about to retort before a loud clank of a chair falling over on its back alerted both parties to Gozu, who was on his feet before either could speak.

"How dare you, Sakakura!" Gozu gripped the jacket of his suit as he tore at the coat, the buttons popping open from their tailor made clasps giving in to Gozu who removed the coat throwing it aside to the floor as he pounded his fist into his palm. "You threaten one of our comrades because of a program? How callous are you to jump to blame?!"

"Is that a fucking challenge to fight, you oversized oaf!"

"I won't hesitate if you refuse to back down this instant!"

*Bang* The door slammed open with a loud bash, the handle smashing against the wall barely held back by the magnetic stopper at the foot of the door, both men immediately staring at the doorway where a familiar male figure in a white suit and silver hair surveyed the chaotic scene before his eyes, holding a sheath in his hand with the hilt at his waist.

"What is this? Are you really the branch heads of Future Foundation?" Munakata demanded as he walked into the room, his eyes searching the expressions of all his fellow branch heads, noticing the standoff between Gozu and Sakakura with disdain as he shook his head. "Juzo, I expected more from you to control yourself while I was away. Such a disgraceful display from all of you."

"Munakata, you have returned." Tengan spoke up for the group, ignoring the tense glares being tossed around the room as Munakata gave a scathing glare at the chairman, before bringing his wrath to the occupants. "You all bicker and focus on more childish things than the situation which we are faced with. And you, Tengan…I remembered when you were more decisive in dealing with the Ultimate Despairs rather than calling for a trial. You've gotten soft, old man."

Tengan said nothing at Munakata's rudeness, brushing his insult aside. "I trust with your return that you were successful?"

"I have returned with Makoto Naegi, just as planned. His fleet was intercepted where I arrested him to be brought here," Munakata announced as the rest of the branch leaders looked at one another.

"Finally, maybe we can get some sense of this," Miaya spoke with a breath of relief, the therapist sitting back down along with Sakakura and Gozu, the two men having an intense staredown as they disengaged, the pair going back to their seats while Tengan shook his head gravely. Munakata turned to the entrance, his eyes looking directly at the guards as he gave them a wave of his hand.

"Bring the prisoner to us." The soldiers gave a crisp salute as they moved to the next room, Munakata bringing his attention to the table. "I'm sure you already know why we're all here."

"Can we get to the point?" Ruruka rudely interrupted. "We were wasting time just waiting for you to show, and like Sakakura said we have better things to do."

"And I agree, but this is equally important." Munakata spoke evenly stressing on the last word, his tone carrying no annoyance at Ruruka's disrespect. "We're here because the very people we put away, at great cost, have been allowed to roam free on Jabberwock Island by Naegi Makoto and Kyouko Kirigiri's watch, with an extensive involvement by Naegi Makoto going to great lengths to acquire access to the Neo-World Program which was meant to be secured by Miaya's division."

"As I said before, I have no reason to grant Makoto Naegi access to the Neo World Program." Miaya defended herself, Munakata slamming his sheath onto the floor. "We'll see."

"Makoto Naegi, reporting!" Naegi's voice announced himself in, the room breaking from their discussion to see Naegi flanked by Asahina and Kyouko as the door remained open the light from the hallway flooding into the darkness. The group stared at the trio, the three blocking their view of Masaru who had quietly taken his place near the doorframe, leaning against it.

"Welcome, Naegi Makoto." Tengan spoke first, the chairman warmly inviting them in despite the hostility as Sakakura was the first to move, Naegi staying in his place as the boxer walked right up to him with a murderous glare placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This is for the people you've spat on."

"Wha-"

Naegi was unable to react as a knee smashed itself into Naegi's stomach, the impact crashing against his diaphragm and causing his lungs to lose all air. Sakakura took advantage of this to aim his fist bringing it down on Naegi's cheek sending him to the floor before the boxer stomped on Naegi's thigh, the heavy steel plated heel bruising his leg as Naegi felt an intense fire spread across his body. Sakakura didn't hesitate in digging the heel into the injury.

"GGGAAAAHHH!"

Kyouko's hands curled into fists, the detective showing no visible emotion towards Naegi's brutal introduction to Sakakura. Beside her, Asahina was gasping in shock with a hand over her mouth in a silent scream while the others said nothing in regards to Sakakura's assault, watching Naegi collapse on his knees. Chisa who was wiping the walls in the corner, dropped her cleaning rag when she heard the impact of the punch and Naegi's cry, the woman turning to see Sakakura's clenched fist as Naegi collapsed, the boxer glaring at Naegi's injured body. "Traitor! Those people sacrificed themselves for us to capture them, and you spit on their graves!"

"Hey, scumbag! That's enough!" A new voice announced himself as Masaru spoke up, appearing out from behind Kyouko and Asahina, gently shouldering his way forward as his footsteps echoed in the room, the darkness of the briefing room adding more tenacity to the crossed look on his face. Juzo seemed to lose his anger, the man's face turning slightly pale when his vision fell onto Masaru's incensed expression. "You?!"

Tengan raised his brow, adjusting the glasses on his eyes as he focused on the newcomer. Seeing who it was, Tengan's eyes widened in surprise. "Masaru-kun?"

"Get out of my way!" Masaru waved away his shock as he pushed him aside, striding over to Naegi while Juzo looked over to Munakata. Asahina was tending to Makoto, the Ultimate Hope hunched over in pain on his knees cradling his chest while Kyouko turned to address Sakakura, her expression unchanged though the glower in her lavender eyes suggested otherwise.

"That was unnecessary, Naegi was going to cooperate."

"Heh, big words from a leader who can't control her subordinate. Naegi Makoto has spat on our efforts, went behind our backs, under your supervision…what a laugh you are for a branch leader." Sakakura spat, Kyouko about to open her mouth before Masaru interrupted with a short laugh.

"Well look at the big baby, all grown up and ready for flinging tantrums." Masaru retorted bitterly, hands patting Naegi before he stood back up regarding the dark haired brute with a fierce angry glow to his eyes brightened by the lights of the screens. "I see that even with time and the Tragedy, you haven't changed a damn bit in your methods of getting things done, ruthless and brutal."

"…Masaru, Saito." Sakakura felt his boiling anger erupt again within the pits of his stomach, the boxer moving towards the voice actor. "How dare you show your face here."

"Juzou, Juzou…still so angry at me from Hope's Peak? Couldn't be helped when you have a temper of a bull." Masaru spoke in a disgusted tone, his finger gesturing to Naegi as Asahina shook Naegi's shoulder. "Couldn't take out your anger so you take it out on the next best thing? Tut tut, for shame…what would Junko say?"

"Don't even dare speak of that name!"

"I can say it however and whenever I prefer. Junko, Junko, Junko…Juzo and Junko, a photo for Juzo. Who does he like, who can say?"

"That's it!" Sakakura roared as he pushed Masaru back, the boxer raising his fist to strike the man gnashing his teeth. "You little fucking-"

*Swish*

"!"

"!" Both men moved back, the air between them being stifled by a glint of polished steel swiftly slicing towards Juzo, Juzo's eyes widened in response to his reflex as he retracted his fist just as the object came to a halt just at both men's midsections. Masaru and Juzo shared a paralyzed stare at one another, each man's eyes gradually moving down to spot a well-oiled sharpened katana touching the edges of their shirts. Munakata stood beside the standoff, his hands gripping the pair of hilts in a vice grip his face a fiery glow of anger and annoyance.

"Stand. Down." Munakata warned both men as the swords pushed deeper challenging them to go further. After a moment of internal debate, Juzo growled before he relented taking the first step away followed by Masaru, the boxer glancing at his hand which had a perfectly sliced strip of white fluttering in the cold, groaning at the pair of loose strips while Masaru tugged his loosened tie eyeballing the sword which nearly eviscerated him. "Looks like you learned some new tricks in the Tragedy, Munakata."

"Silence." Munakata's voice ordered Masaru who gave a smirk, his handcuffed wrists going to his right as he fixated his gaze to Juzo. "Fine, have it your way for now. But know this, Juzo…even with my hands cuffed, I still managed to kick your ass back at Hope's Peak Academy…and I can do it even better now. So please, throw as much of your pompous talent around like a hopeless buffoon. I won't hesitate to crush your neck next time and watch you choke on your blood."

Juzo gnashed his teeth, utterly humiliated as he jabbed his index in the direction of Masaru's smirking face of arrogant confidence. "I swear, I will personally-"

"Now is not the time to start drawing our weapons!" Gozu loudly announced with a slam of the desk. "All of you, stay clam!"

Bandai quickly pointed at Gozu, the man cowering in fright. "You're angry too!"

"For a prisoner he sure has a big mouth on him. Oi Munakata, who is the loudmouth?!" The girl in the beanie spoke up, her attention torn from feeding Izayoi who let out a soft groan of annoyance at the candy which was dangling just above his mouth.

"Now everyone, we shouldn't be mean to our visitor. We should all be calm." Bandai interrupted, his hands waving in mediation between the girl and the trio of men with Juzo and Munakata giving the girl a combined tense stare, Masaru blinking as he pointed his finger towards Bandai with a grossed out stare.

"…Why on earth is your voice like that of a helium overdosed chipmunk with a vasectomy?"

"What's wrong with my voice?!" Bandai slumped over the table, small drops of tears streaming down his face while Ruruka the girl in the beanie leaned back letting out an irritated moan, Izayoi in the meantime sneaking his hand into the bag of treats to steal some snacks for himself. "Weren't you the one who wanted us to calm down?"

"Bandai-san is right." A new person spoke up, Munakata glancing to the right hand row of branch leaders. Sitting next to Miaya, hand under his chin sat a young man with light pink hair wearing a black suit with a set of green eyes and freckles on either side of his cheeks in a wheelchair, his body draped over by a red blanket. His appearance was moderately overweight, with broad shoulders and a visor sitting just over his eyes which gave a dull gleam focused on the small laptop on hand while he typed furiously. "We should not be rude."

 _Iwao Taira: SHSL Hacker. Assistant to Miaya Gekkoughara of the cyber division, survivor of the Parade._

"Hmph." Munakata took the moment of silence, taking long strides towards the table as he placed his hands on the glass layer. "Despair is a problem that needs to be rooted out from the source, it does not matter if the Neo World Program was even used, who created it, and why it was used. The only thing that matters is who, and it is Despair."

"Junko Enoshima infiltrated the Neo World Program, and turned the program into a killing machine to restore herself into the Ultimate Despairs we captured. And Makoto Naegi, he was the one who suggested the program be used to rehabilitate them…the evidence mounts to Naegi being a Remnant we have missed, to use the Despairs we captured to revive Junko Enoshima in multiple bodies." Munakata pointed accusingly at Naegi, Asahina feeling her anger rise to another level as she looked around the room. "Hold on, you can't just make a decision like that without giving Naegi a chance to-"

*zip*

Asahina's words were cut as a black shadow flew across the air, the shadow grazing the swimmer's cheek before it landed in a loud thunk at her back, Asahina blinking before she felt her cheek, retrieving her hand to watch a blood red smear across her open palm. Shocked, she looked at the wall where a sharp throwing dagger had sunk into the wall's surface creating a neat crack into the plaster, the woman looking back to table where the knife originated from an outstretched hand with a red coat sleeve.

"Shut your trap, balloon tits or I'll have Izayoi put you down." Ruruka menacingly threatened as Izayoi flicked his wrist, a collection of four knives coming to play, grinding against one another in a frightening shiver of sliding steel. Gasping, Asahina felt a cold shiver while Masaru squeezed his fingers tighter into his palms, the nails scratching the skin grinding his teeth.

"You are one fucked up lady."

"For once I agree with the candy brat. C'mon Munakata, it's a waste of time. He is guilty as sin, we don't need further evidence than the one he provided for you and me at Towa City, where we found him…there's no reason to doubt him. He admitted to being the spokesman, he is no student of Hope's Peak! He is Monokuma!" Juzo pointed at Masaru, the voice actor standing firm unflinching in the face of the accusation, his eyes meeting the boxer's with a cutting glare daring him to speak another word.

Bandai was the first to react, his hand going to his mouth as he chewed on his nails. "Wait, you mean…all this time, that bear mascot and the robots in Towa city…those voices are from him?!"

Ruruka glared daggers at the man, Izayoi looking between Masaru and Naegi his throwing daggers clinking against each other in his grip while she smirked. "Heh, looks like we have two traitors on our hands. Looks like we have our work cut out for us, Izayoi."

"This is unexpected." Gozu commented grimly keeping watch on Masaru while Miaya closed her eyes, deep in her thoughts as her assistant Taira looked around, his orange eyes seeing each branch leader while he let out a monotone sigh, his expression unchanged throughout this exchange. "Oh dear…"

The moment of thought was broken when Chisa walked past Juzo, the boxer breaking his thoughts as he watched the Housekeeper move to Naegi's side, her hands going to see Naegi's lips which was leaking a trail of blood down the right corner of his mouth. "Chisa, get away from him!"

"That enough, Naegi is injured! You went too rough with him, Sakakura-kun!"

"Huh, but he's…"

"He needs medical attention and some time to adjust! Just throwing him into the deep end like this will not help his case." Chisa interrupted as Naegi was helped up to his feet, Naegi still reeling and dazed from the hard hit to his gut, his ears deafened by the impact as the voices around him were almost like whispers. Makoto was supported by Asahina and Chisa on each arm, bringing him to stabalise as he wobbled on his feet.

"I think I have enough of all this unnecessary drama. I propose we take Chisa's advice," the group turned to Miaya, Juzo scowling as he glared at the blue eyed therapist. "Stay out of this, Miaya…you have caused us enough trouble as it is."

"I wasn't responsible for the misuse of the Neo World Program in the involvement of the Ultimate Despairs' rehabilitation attempt, Sakakura." Miaya shot back at him, the therapist turning to Munakata. "I recommend that we take a break from this childish squabbling, grant us time to relax and not do anything rash."

Miaya scanned the room, her eyes looking at Ruruka and Izayoi specifically when she mentioned the last part, the pair giving her defiant stares while Juzo clenched his fists, coming under her line of sight as well. "The same goes for you Sakakura, if you try to even make one step, or one word about your blame seeking…I will bury you. Understood?"

Juzo wanted to retort only for Gozu to rise from his seat, the man cracking his knuckles while Tengan shot him a glimpse of disapproval at his direction. Even Ruruka and Izayoi had backed down, while Bandai was already beginning to mumble to himself at the escalating situation. "…Tch."

Juzo stuffed his hands into his pockets, the man instead elbowing Masaru out of his way as he went to the door, forcefully slamming the steel door aside in a display of anger and annoyance, leaving the conference room. Munakata watched his friend leave before he glanced at Chisa, his eyes stern as Chisa gave him a pleading look between him and Naegi. "Please, Kyosuke."

Munakata's stern mask softened, his scowl on his lips becoming a neutral line while his anger was forgotten for a second before it regained its strength, the man gazing back to the tense atmosphere between all the branch leaders as he assessed the situation. After a long silence, he glanced back at Chisa. "Yukizome, take Naegi to the next room to get him patched up."

"Thank you." Chisa replied with a smile of relief at Munakata's relent, the orange-haired housekeeper taking Naegi by the shoulder as she guided him out of the room. Before she left, Kyouko gave Naegi a tiny nod of assurance, the brown-haired idealist giving her a smile of comfort in passing, the door shut quietly behind them for privacy.

"Now, before we go on with this interesting conversation…Masaru Saito." The room immediately went quiet, the remaining branch leaders and their subordinates switched their attention to Tengan, the old man rising from his seat at the table, the elderly man looking over the bridge of his glasses to take in the sight of Masaru before him. Masaru met his gaze, the young man feeling apprehensive at being singled out as he tugged the collar of his black shirt, his cuffed hands going over to flip the underside of his crimson necktie resting in front of his body, as he gave a light nod of acknowledgement to Tengan. "It is you, isn't it…Masaru?"

"I…" Masaru trailed off as he immediately sank his eyes to look at the table in response to being singled out by the elderly chairman, glancing back at Tengan with a tense smile. "I'm back…Tengan."

Tengan nodded solemnly, his head bowed with his hands behind his back while he moved out of the proximity of the table, Tengan walking towards Masaru as he stiffen, only for Tengan to envelop him in a hug. His action stunned the entire room, Munakata even having to raise a brow at Tengan's show of affection, Tengan patting Masaru's back with his hand. "It has been too long, too long since your disappearance. I thought that…How have things been? Where were you? What were you doing?"

"I was in Towa, where the riots happened. The world seems to be getting worse for wear everyday…hid underground until I had to send a message, tell the world I was back."

"I heard about them from Togami's report, it is unsettling that children are just being used to spread the name of despair when she was gone. Regardless, you are here with us, and I am happy to see a familiar face no matter the circumstance." Tengan replied, a genuine caring smile at Masaru as Tengan turned around his back to Masaru. It was then that the sound of a swivel chair skated across the floor, Masaru's eyes following the sound to see a man with a shaggy appearance of ragged hair, a thin moustache and a pair of sleepy eyes in a suit and tie wearing a white fedora approach him, tipping the hat in greeting.

"Hope you didn't forget about me, either Masaru-kun."

 _Koichi Kizakura: Talent Scout for Hope's Peak Academy_

"Kizakura…" Masaru addressed the talent scout, Kizakura giving him a hug as well placing more force as his hands squeezed Masaru towards him despite the voice actor's attempts to keep distance from him, Kizakura bringing him forward each time he resisted before he was released.

"It's been a while, Masaru-kun…years I think since we last met."

"I was unaware that you were with Future Foundation, especially you in particular."

Kizakura chuckled. "Now that is the Masaru I grew up with."

"That wasn't a compliment." Masaru quipped as Munakata rose from his chair. "With Naegi Makoto unable to have his trial, we shall take a 45 minutes' break, all of you. We'll reconvene here when everyone has settled and stopped acting like children. Dismissed."

"Hmm," Tengan watched the room vacate themselves, looking at Kizakura and Masaru who were the only ones left in the briefing room after Munakata strode out, the trio exchanges glances. "The sternness of the young these days...Future Foundation certainly has some troublemakers amongst us."

"Hey, enough of the grim talk, Tengan. We can talk about that later. Wanna hang out at the lounge, they got a bar." Kizakura suggested while he drew Tengan's attention away from Munakata as he thumbed at the doorway, Masaru and Tengan sharing a look before both men shrugged.

"I don't see why not, we have a lot to speak about with you, Masaru-kun." Tengan replied brightly, following Kizakura as both men went towards the doorway.

"Yes," Masaru replied as he stared at the table, his eyes falling on the Ultimate Despair, "we do."

End


End file.
